Introduction to Mental Disorders

Question 1

what is a mental disorder?

Answer 1

a disturbance in an individual’s cognition, emotion regulation or behavior associated with significant distress or impairment

Question 2

what is considered the authoritative classification system of mental disorders?

Answer 2

DSM-5

diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders

Question 3

each diagnosis within the manual has its own numeric code. where do these codes come from?

Answer 3

international classification of diseases (A companion publication closely aligned with DSM)

Question 4

what are the basic features of the DSM-5?

Answer 4

Diagnostic criteria are included for 300+ specific mental disorders
grouped across 22 broad categories of mental conditions
contains descriptive information
considered atheoretical (typically no discussion of etiology or treatment)

Question 5

What group of mental disorders codes start with a V and not a number?

Answer 5

Other Conditions that May be a Focus of Clinical Attention: conditions that are not mental disorders but still benefit from clinical scrutiny/intervention

Question 6

One diagnostic descriptor is provisional, when is this used?

Answer 6

Used if one assumes that criteria will be met for the disorder but patient information is unavailable or duration criterion is not met yet.

Question 7

Another diagnostic descriptor is unspecified or other specified, when is this used?

Answer 7

used if a patients symptoms conform to some of the criteria for a diagnosis but the criteria are not fully met.
(note–> after the descriptor then list the general category of the psychiatric problem)

Question 8

What are some additional features of the DSM-5?

Answer 8

Has good reliability of diagnostic labels

lack of proven validity of diagnostic labels